Image 13 of Leaflets A-P

Part of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station

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I)ir:·r·/ions [or nm/ting I/ur Iins/. llulverize the soil tained as to the aniotint of soluble nitrogen present will _
sample and mix as for the acidity test. The soil need not help to determine whether a nitrogen fertilizer shotild he ’l ' _ •
he air-dry btit should not be saturated with water. Fill zi applied, partictilarly top dressings f`or tobacco.
glass tithe, one—half inch in diameter, with soil to a deptlt - » j
of one inch. .-\tld suflicietit test soltttion so that, after HOVV TO OBTAIN IWIATERIALS FOR TESTING SOIL i ll
shaking, the depth of soil and soltitioii is three inches. Q
Place corks in the tttbes and shake thoroly for about one The Experiment. Station fttrnishes the materials for tlte ,
minute. .·\llow to stand until the solution above tlte soil acidity and available phosphorus tests described in this v
is fairly clear. Stir gently with the tin rod until the circular, to county agents for their use in testing soil in W V y .
inaximum blue color appears. Read the test at otice. The their counties. County agents may obtain these by calling ll
color fades on standing; it is renewed by stirring with tlte at the Agronomy laboratories, or on request they will be l
tin rod bttt may not be the same intensity as before. sent by express collect. Extension specialists in Agron-
'l`he procedure inst given is to be used for most soils. omy also may have the materials f`or these tests and be , _ _ _ _ _
However, it may not give accurate tests on soils which able to fttrnisli them to county agents when visiting their S j ¤< RHl)1(l l.€StS have l)€€n devised for SOll acidity
are very high in phosphate as are many in the Central cotinties. The Experiment Station does not furnish the _ _ ‘ _
Bluegrass region, testing too low in these soils. The materials to county agetltS for the available potassiiim l and for [l'1€ I`€2lCl1ly €lVLttl3.bl€ or active POI`-
test may be ineditim or below when it should be very and nitrate tests. _ _ _
high. Too much soluble phosphorus appears to interfere y,[mCl.iniS im. testing Soil I-0,. acidity mul u\.nHHi)lc mp A tion of the Il10l`€ llUl)Ol`[21l'1i§ soil (On-
with the reducing action that produces the color. The Ujcms ul-C {Ol. mic by Swami Comlmnicg Materials im! *' , * V . r` _
l)l`()l)()l`ll()I] of soil to test S()llllIOI1 Sll0llltl he VC\`)` lUllCll acidity and iiyiiiiubig Piiogpiioi-ug tggig which iirg very SULUCHLT Tllls lcllflct lclls lllllll to .
lcllllllcll ll‘ll` lllC$C $‘lll$— llCl`ll_llll* lll ‘lllC‘llllll lllc llslllll similar to the tests described in this circular, may he pur- _ , -
amount. To ensure accuracy in testing soils in the Blue— chased Comlucltiaiiyy ’ lll¢ll\€ lllld IUK€1`i)l`€t [h€ I`ll()l`€
grass region, particularly in the central part, make the is . _ _
test first with one·fifth the usual amount of soil. Then, HOW THE TEST SOLUTIONS ARE MADE ll ll5€lUl ol lll€$€ EESKS.
if this test is medium to low, repeat it with the usual pro-
l`€llll_l`€- _ _ _ _ _ A The [zulassiiini, iliiocvunulr: lest wliilioii. Dissolve chem-
l_llC l€$l l$ lllll il€€lll`ll_ll? lll $llll$ Clllllllllllllg C{lll$l*lCl" ically pttre potassium. thiocyanate in synthetic absolute . .
able lime stitch as those which contain niarly materials and mclhyi aicoimi ami uccumc ii g_ p_ in {hc pmpmlion ni U ‘ K
€ll€l`l’€$l?€ Yl§§lll"lll*lY_l*'ll€ll llle l€$l mlllllllll ls ll$l(lCll· Tllc —l grains of the salt and 50 cttbic centitneters of each of i
amount of liine ordinarily applied does not aflect the test [hc m|\,€mS_ If Lim Solution is nikuimc I0 Scnsiliw md
llllll€l`lllll}’- lcslsfll Scllcllll Slllls lllllf llc lllllllc lll llllcc ll` litmus paper, carefully add glacial acetic acid to make it
llllQ'{l7l€ll lll lllcflclllllf l€$l· slightly acid, or iust so that sensitive bltte litnitts paper
_ lllll€* ll$€ll l‘ll` lllc llllflslllllllc lcsl Slllllllll lllll llc ll$€‘l turns red. The solution is iiiflatnmable and poisonous. ir ¢‘
for the acidity ICSI ttnless thoroly cleaned to remove acid Bm HS Imnihbly J/( _ I _ _ IPI _ I I; D.__ I v_ _ V
from tlte phosphate test. Stoppers ttsed in the phosphate U__ _) `E _l _ l. ful, l )"[lfl)'lll`l ll . `lll ll Jliljl _ lm? ll llfll
test sliottld not be ttsed in the acidity lest because of the °;.HllF_(?llf lUlllL‘{_l lull°_flllllll.llllllllll llllll )ll‘ll°_ lll llll°l"
(m“(_uh\, Ot. wuuwing thc Mid. o trtsti cd yyatcig Filter this, allow it rto cool and
· add it slowly to a cold mixture of lif) cc. of concentrated S _
DESIRABLE T0 KEEP RECORDS OF THE TESTS l‘f°l""Fl‘l"""l ““‘li Sllllo "“‘l,’° ““· Ol ‘ll*l‘ll°°l "“lF"· |
I`lns is the stock soltttion. Dilttte 12 cc. to lf)0 cc. with ,
H- H (_m_Cl~Hl l_ccm_(l is kcpl or [hc Plums “,hc,,C [hc distilled. water for use. A'l`lie stock soltttion tleterioiaies l
samples are taken atid of the results of the tests, the in- llllll fell llllllll llll ”llllllllll¥‘ ‘_ i i
formation when assembled will be valttable in showing A6 °’
tlte lime and phosphate needs of soils in the counties and
in the State as a whole. In many counties wide differences `
will be fottnd in these respects between different soils
within thc county. [ I `
OTHER RAPID SOIL TESTS
Rapid soil tests for available potassititn and nitrate- l;XTlZN$l(lN DlVlSlON,COI.I.E(LE ()I·`_»\()|{l(][}[4’i`URi{
nitrogen are ttsed to a greater or less extent in sotne 'S. 1.
states, Fairly satisfactory procedttres are available, btit l-ltil\'Cl`Sil}’ of Kentucky, Lexington, Keiitiigky
these tests are of less valtte in Kentucky than the acidity l
and available phosphorus tests. llotassiuin fertilizers are Tttoxt.-ts l’, Coot·t·:t